Mountaintop Experiences

“Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him.” (Mark 3:13, CSB)

What is it about a mountain that pulls people to reach its summit? The difficulty of the ascent doesn’t matter; they feel a compulsion to reach where others dare not tread.

Mount Everest, considered the world’s tallest summit, has had a “traffic jam” at times as unprecedented numbers of climbers waited in line for their turn to reach its peak. Can you imagine enduring over 29,000 feet of treacherous climbing, not to mention rigorous training and great expense, just to wait in line?

Perhaps all of us seek a mountaintop experience of one type or another in life. Although the climb can be arduous, lifechanging things may happen on the mountain. In fact, if the path were less difficult, the experience would hold less meaning. The struggles only increase the exhilaration of finally reaching the top.

Being summoned to meet God on the mountain surpasses all other life experiences. There God reveals Himself to us and allows us to see our world from a higher perspective. Some of the most notable events in the Bible took place on a mountain.

• On Mount Ararat, God covenanted with Noah to not destroy the world again by water (Genesis 8:4, 20-22).
• Abraham took his son Isaac up Mount Moriah to offer a sacrifice (Genesis 22:1-14).
• Moses’ several mountain experiences included his call at the burning bush, receiving the Ten Commandments, and viewing the Promised Land before his death.
• Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (I Kings 18).
• Jesus took Peter, James, and John on a high mountain where they saw Moses and Elijah(Matthew 17:1-5).
• Jesus often slipped away to the solitude of the mountains to pray (Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:12).

Not everyone will accept the challenge of the mountain, whether actual elevations or spiritual ones. Mountains can be rugged, harsh, unwelcoming places. The higher we go, the more barren our surroundings and the more difficult the path. Yet, it is as we accept God’s invitation to meet Him higher that we learn more about Him and more about ourselves.

We don’t live on the mountaintops. Most of our life is spent in the valleys below. But it’s the view from the top of the mountain—the revelations God shows us there—that provides the strength and power we need day by day.

Accept God’s invitation to “meet me on the mountain.” Don’t be afraid to answer His call and commune with Him. He has a life-altering experience awaiting you there. Those who go up the mountain never return the same.

Prayer: Lord, lead me higher up the mountain so I can learn more of You and become more like You.